Reuben at Europa in Orinda, California

Matthew and I drove over the hill to Orinda today.  Orinda is an upscale little city a bit deeper into Contra Costa County that I have always heard good things about.  We thought we’d check out the food situation there.  The drive was nice, if a bit hair-raising.  I hate driving on freeways and try to avoid tunnels and bridges, so we took windy, country roads that permeate the East Bay Regional Park District.  The area we drove through is so beautiful and so unspoiled, it was hard to believe we were only a few miles from cities right near the Bay Bridge.  Driving that high-elevation route with its two-lane roads in the dark or in rainy weather might have you sleeping with the fishes, if you ask me.  Orinda is attractive and quiet with a small downtown with an old theatre and some shops and restaurants.  Strangely enough, there was a Hofbrau, called Europa (64 Moraga Way, Orinda).  We were hungry so we ate there, and I have to say it was fine, but not as good as Harry’s Hofbrau (any of the locations) and perhaps on par with Brennan’s in Berkeley, but certainly not worth a special trip if you live on our side of the hill.  There was good turkey, which is essential, as well as decent turkey gravy and mashed potatoes.  Matt had a Reuben, which was generous and tasty, he reported.  We were kind of bummed because we wanted something more interesting than Hofbrau, but, not knowing the town and seeing little obvious choice, we suffered from not doing our homework.